It has long been required for motor vehicles to be equipped with illuminated brake and turn signals operable to warn other drivers on the road about a driver's intentions. Additionally, in motor vehicles, the use of center high mounted stop lights (CHMSL) has become pervasive. CHMSLs are characterized by stop lamps positioned at driver eye level and placed in or near the rear window of the motor vehicle. It is now well recognized that positioning stop lamps at eye level and directly in the field of view on the driver of a tailing vehicle results in a reduction in accidents.
Motorcycles are typically characterized by two-wheel vehicles that are also equipped with illuminated brake and turn signals to warn other drivers on the road about the motorcycle driver's intentions. However, motorcycles offer little crash protection to the operator and due to their size and narrow width when viewed from the rear, motorcycles are known for escaping notice by inattentive or multitasking automotive and truck drivers on roads and highways. A typical motorcycle frame construction does not offer the option of mounting a stoplight and turn signal at eye level on the frame of the motorcycle.
Rear end vehicle collisions are currently the most common vehicle collisions in the United States with well over two and a half million reported each year. In a rear end collision, the energy from the trailing vehicle is transferred to the front vehicle, propelling it forward. When the front vehicle is a motorcycle and the rear vehicle is a relatively massive automobile or truck, the results are obviously tragic. In such an instance, at the minimum, a motorcycle rider may be dislodged from the motorcycle, which leaves the rider's body momentarily suspended in the air and unprotected against an oncoming vehicle and the eventual abrasion of the pavement below.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a convenient system for illuminating at least a portion of a motorcycle helmet, particularly as brake lights or turn signals are actuated. Although there have been many attempts to provide such helmet lighting systems in the past, many tend to be unduly bulky, expensive to install and use, and thus have not yet found widespread acceptance.
Moreover, many motorcycle riders delight in adding various forms of decorations to their vehicles and/or riding attire including helmets. It would be highly desirable to be able to incorporate such decorative elements into safety features discussed above in an economical and easy to use system. Such would tend to encourage more widespread use of such safety lighting systems by motorcycle riders. It would also be helpful to a motorcyclist to have real-time information relating to the status of the motorcycle, including various component parts thereof, the helmet, and motorcycle itself so as to maintain these components in a proper working state, prevent theft and the like.
The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.